Weekly Flylady Thread 18th May 2009

Welcome to the weekly Flylady thread. If you need help organising your week when it comes to housework, or just the motivation to do the dreaded housework tasks you have to do, come and join us, hopefully make it a little easier. You never know, you might start to enjoy it!

Following requests to start things steadier for new members who did not realise the tasks list wasn’t a must do, just an encouragement. There will now be level 1, 2 and 3. Level 1 being very basic it has been requested that this is just one task per day, level 2 in the middle, up to 3 which is more advanced and time consuming. If you want to do level 2 you add the tasks on level 1 with the level 2 tasks, if you want to do level 3 you add the tasks on, easy peasy. Choose a level to aim for but be realistic, if you’ve got a busy day on or are just starting etc aim for level one, if you get higher then great, if not then not to worry its only suggestions. Every room comes back around next week. Trust me some days I'll only be doing level one myself.

THESE LISTS ARE ONLY SUGGESTIONS AND NOT A MUST DO LIST, ALWAYS WELCOME TO POST AND FOLLOW YOUR OWN.

Also adding a declutter mission each day. Another one where it’s up to you if you want to do it or if you need to. This follows requests from members who are looking to declutter. Fling boogies, hotspot clearing, cupboard sorts, drawer sorts etc will all be on this list. Any problems with this of any suggestions do please let me know.

A few of the basics before we start the week

Hotspots are any areas which if one thing gets put there, loads of other things follow!

Daily routines are anything you need to do on a daily basis like washing, swish and swipe kitchen and bathroom, ironing, making beds, vacuuming high traffic areas, making meals etc

Night-time routines are all things which make getting ready in the morning easier, preparing clothes for the next day, making lunches, swish & swipes of the kitchen and tidying the living room before you go to bed plus personals like shower/brush teeth etc.

Fling Boogie - stick on some loud music, grab a binbag and whizz around the house finding items that can go out with the rubbish, recycling, for charity shop, basically anything that will stop it cluttering your home.

Swish and swipe/S&S means have a quick wipe over an area such as a sink or toilet to prevent the build up of dirt. This is usually done on a daily basis
HHE/HHC/HHI Half Hour exercise/challenge/ironing ... run around for 30 minutes to the Benny Hill music frantically cleaning exercising or ironing.. other music may be used if you prefer!
5GC five minutes gardening.. make it lovely for your family and enjoy it!

Ok here goes this week!

Measly Monday - Living room, hall, stairs and porch!
Level One
Declutter ALL the floors!!
Clean out the fire.. make sure it is cool.. if it needs a service/chimney swept get that sorted
Level Two
Vacuum/sweep all the floors.. stairs too!
Vacuum/sweep under furniture you can safely move!
Vacuum sofas
Level Three
Polish any glass.. pictures/mirrors etc
Wash any soft furnishings that need it
Wipe down ALL the paintwork!
Extras

1. Wipe and water plants
2. Dust all the electricals.. carefully.. don't want any frazzled flybodies
3. Binbag dance
4. HHI

Tuesday - kitchen and dining mess
Level One
Clear and wipe work surfaces
Wipe and replace small appliances
Level Two
Empty cutlery drawer.. wash cutlery tray and replace everything neatly.. get rid of all the odds and sods that shouldn't be in there..
Wipe the front of the units, kickboards and the large appliances
Sweep and mop the floor
Level Three
Wipe dining table and replace cloth if needed
Clean out the fridge
De-web and fluff the room
Extras

1. Wash the windows
2. Wipe down paintwork/sideboards/units in dining room
3. Clean filters and detergent dispensers
4. HHI

Wonderful Wednesday - childrens/spare rooms (this can be a second reception room or another room but do try to complete something!)
Level One
Strip and remake beds
Declutter floor!
Level Two
Fill a box with junk from the floor and sort it to its rightful place!
Collect all the laundry from upstairs
Wash any curtains/cushions/duvet covers etc that are needy
Level Three
Sort through a cupboard of clothing
Wash the windows
Deweb and dust and wipe any grotty bits!
Extras

1. Binbag dance
2. Reshuffle any shelves
3. Wipe down any pc's/game consoles etc in these rooms
4. Polish ALL the mirrors in the house!!

Thursday Thrills - Bathroom and Study..
Level One
Declutter the floors
wipe down sofas and seats
Level Two
Dejunk the desk and wipe off the gunge
Vacuum/mop floors
Scrub the bath, sinks, toilets, showers and tiles etc
Level Three
Wash the windows
Empty out a cupboard clean it out and put back only the bits you need to keep
Defrag the pc and delete 50 useless emails

Extras

1. collect all the laundry from upstairs
2. HHI
3. Change any lightbulb you have been leaving.. (we have 3!!)
4. Sort out the coats and bags and shoes..

Finally Friday - Master bedroom and Landing
Level One
Strip and wash bedding!
Clear some floordrobe
Level Two
Clear landing floor.. or sort a hotspot out there!!
Wash windows
Vacuum floors
Level Three
Sort out shoes and coats and bags! etc
Binbag dance
HHI
Extras

1. Reorder and tidy a chest of drawers.. if there is anything to get rid of.. DO IT!!
2. List 5 things to sell..
3. Dust and deweb
4. Make sure those smoke alarms are working!!! (do not set fire to anything.. just press the button!!)

WEEKEND Frolics
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO IGNORE!!
New one this week.. for those who have extra weekend time and can't function without tasks... lol If you don't have time or want to spend time with your family that is brilliant.. go for it. It is a list of 15 tasks to do over the weekend if you get chance.. no pressure at all.. just ideas!


This is also a chance to get hubby's and children involved in the flying

1. S&S the kitchen
2. S&S the bathroom!
3. HHI
4. Wash and put away any winter coats you shouldn't need for the next 5 months
5. Extra 30 minutes ironing
6. Sort through the freezer.. what do you have loads of and what needs using first.. vacuum up those escaping peas and brussels!!
7. Change any bedding you didn't get chance to do over the week!
8. Meal plan for the next week and make a shopping list... based on what you found in the freezer
9. Make sure you have everything ready for school/work for after the jollidays.. pe kits, socks, homework done etc.
10. Fill a binbag for charity shop or bin.. or better still do both!!
11. Photograph 5 things for ebay.. and if you have time get them listed!!..
12. Sort through one cupboard.. food, clothing.. whatever
13. Tidy the airing cupboard/pantry/understairs cupboard..
14. Vacuum those places that you missed during the week, or worse, miss every week!!.
15. Do a D.I.Y. job, fix something you've been putting off forever!!

This weeks MACAW (Make a Change a Week challenge) Basically you choose one thing you would like to change about your lifestyle, your habits or whatever you fancy and incorporate it into a new way of life.. anything from cooking one meal a week from scratch, learning a new skill, shining your sink every day, reducing your alcohol consumption, doing some exercise.. whatever you fancy! This is only for those who WANT to participate and being run alongside flylady rather than being part of it.



My M.A.C.A.W challenge this week is..............


Small announcement!!.. I REALLY don't want to do this but I feel I must.

In the last few weeks the thread has grown exponentially.. which is brilliant and wonderful and I am so pleased to welcome new fly-bodies... BUT.. this also means that some members are unable to participate as they are overwhelmed by the sheer number of posts and cannot keep up. I value ALL the members, the ones who post once a day and the ones who don't post at all and the ones who we all know so intimately. However, I feel there is a lot of 'chitchat' and general gossipy posts being made which have no relevance to the thread. Could all member PLEASE remember this a thread to support each other in flying and decluttering and making their homes beautiful and try to keep the posts on topic (not to the exclusion of all gossip!).

I'm sorry I have to do this but alas.. you all waffle too much!! We have a lovely little community and I do not want anyone to feel excluded from this.

We have the yahoo group and the facebook group if people want to chat over there that is wonderful but can we please keep THIS thread on track. I know you don't want to lose it any more than I do! PLEASE CAN YOU ADD YOUR MSE USERNAME TO YOUR REQUEST SO WE KNOW YOU AREN'T SOME WEIRDO!!

The weekends you can chat to your hearts content..